Lost and Found
by XxAllenNlavixX
Summary: Do you really think anyone could handle never being loved? What if the Naruto we all know let the loneliness consume him?
1. Chapter 1

**AN/: Hello all~! I just wanted to set a few things straight before we get started, ok?**

**1.) Naruto will be PALE in this! His personality is different remember? Let's just say he doesn't see the sun much! ^.~**

**2.) Sasuke is still quiet, but he is a lot nicer. Why? Itachi never betrayed the clan! I like Itatchi XP**

**3.)They are around the age of 14 here! My characters are a little OOC, but I'll try to keep them as OC as possible. Well... not Naruto.**

**4.) This is a SasuNaru Fanfic! As of right now, its rated T; but I plan to have a time skip of 3 years, so they'll be 17! I don't want a bunch of 14 year olds groping each other, ok? Make no mistake though; This IS going to turn into an M rated fic. I'll warn you though! Wouldn't want to scare your virgin minds now would we? *smirks***

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto! If I did, Sasuke and Naruto would proclaim their love for each other, then grope each other in a shocked Sakura's face. Yeah~ I'm not her hugest fan, ya know? I'm only a rabid fan girl *sigh* Oh well~ Were all fangirls at heart! XP **

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><p><strong>xXx Lost and found Chapter 1 xXx<strong>

**"The Wheels Begin to Turn"**

Sasuke was beyond pissed. Though, it was near impossible to tell with that bored look on his face. Why was he pissed, you ask? Well, a variety of reasons could be blamed as the cause for the throbbing vein in his forehead. One; The pink haired stalker was pressing as far as possible into his side. She looked at him with hearts in her eyes and he repressed the staggering urge to gag. You would think that after his numerous rejections she would get it. Guess not.

He knew he was what girls considered to be good looking. Pale skin, dark ebony hair and eyes. He was lean but slightly muscular, reaching the height of 5'7, pretty tall for a fourteen year old. His clan, known for their strength, was also known for their good looks.

The other reason for his justified irritation would be the fact that not only was he stuck in a room with the idiots from his village, because the fact that they were entering the Chunin exams soon, they also had a couple of unwanted guests.

The red head with the kanji tattoo was extremely unnerving with that blank stare and dead eyes. The large one with weird tattoos and a puppet on his back creeped him out somewhat. The last new addition was a women who glared at anyone who tried to approach them. Those were the only new faces he recognized among familiar ones; Shikamaru; the lazy guy, Chouji; the fat one, Ino; blonde stalker, Kiba; probably has rabbies, Shino; creepy bug guy, Hinata; shy girl, Neji; Creepy eyes, Lee; ugly spandex, and Tenten; weapons girl. Weirdo's right?

Sasuke sighed and scooted as far over as possible in the confined space of the desks. The front door rattled, and the class quieted completely when Iruka-sensei entered. He walked toward the center of the blackboard to write something on the board.

"Ok class, we have a few new people today. They will be joining us for the Chunnin exam this year." People murmured and risked a glance at the now glaring trio."Anyway, we will have another student today... he is a young boy from this village..."

"Hold on." Kiba interjected. "Why wasn't he here before then?" Iruka ran a hand through his hair.

"He received permission from the Third to train without entering the academy. He is to enroll now if he wants to become a Chunnin." Sasuke raised an eyebrow and a quiet murmur went through the students. From the corner of his eye, he saw Gaara glance toward the teacher,seemingly gotten his attention.

"Sensei~ What's his name?" Ino asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Uh... Naruto Uzamaki." Silence met that. Sasuke remembered seeing a flash of brilliant gold a long time ago, but that's it. Chouji shoved chips down his throat and snorted.

"Oh! My mom told me to stay away from him; Said he was a monster."

"Chouji!" Iruka scolded. Sasuke noticed Gaara become rigid. Kiba nodded.

"Monster? Why's that? Is he ugly or something? Why doesn't he just cover his face like Shino does?" Shino's glasses glinted eerily in the light.

"Excuse me, please leave me out of this."

"Enough! Naruto-kun will probably be nervous, seeing as it's his first time really socializing. Be kind to him!" Sasuke threaded his fingers and rested his chin on them. He was actually pitying the poor fool that was about to be subjected to this hell. A faint knock on the door, barely audible, made the once noisy room, quiet. Every head trained on the door, including Sasuke. Iruka cleared his dry throat.

"Enter." Nothing happened for a minute, then, ever so slowly, the door opened. When the door opened, the wind blew from behind the boy and into the room. The room was filled with the scent of raspberries. Sasuke inhaled deeply, not at all disturbed by the fact that he was sniffing the air like a weirdo. The boy walked in slowly, head bowed toward the ground. The first thing he noticed was his black boots tapping against the floor. Black pants with various pockets fitted to short slim legs. A long black turtle neck clung to his slim frame like a second skin and gray scarf billowed behind him. The light caught the silver cross dangling from his ear. He came to a halt in the center of the room and turned, finally lifting his face out towards the room. Sasuke stifled a gasp and everyone else in the rooms eyes widened. Pale, almost ghostly colored skin was unblemished, save for three deep parallel scars on each cheek. His lips were a pale peach color, looking full and moist. Cruceleon eyes, cold and void of anything, seemed to stare straight into the depths of his soul. Long, dark lashes framed those eyes and cast shadows along cheekbones, above them were perfectly arched golden eyebrows. Slightly longer hair was disheveled, looking as if he had just rolled out of bed. The only color in his whole outfit was an orange stud placed in his opposite ear. Iruka cleared his throat, trying non-to-discreetly to get his students to stop ogling their newest addition.

"This is our new classmate everyone. Can you introduce yourself? Naruto put his hands in pockets and his eyes narrowed in an icy cold glare that put the Uchiha's to shame.

"Uzamaki... Naruto." His voice was low and musical, though clear, despite how softly he spoke it.

"Right... Well, can you please take a seat between Sakura and Sasuke?" Both Sakura and Sasuke's heart started up in a strange, too fast rhythm. Naruto slid eyes over the class lazily and landed on Sakura's meekly raised hand. He walked up the steps with feline like grace and stopped in front of Sakura. She blushed as she scooted over to the side to let Naruto sit on the end. He sat, staring straight ahead, ignored the stares he was gathering.

"Ok! We are going to sort you into teams. They have already been decided by the Third Hokage and we cant change them; so don't even ask." Sasuke hardly heard anything the teacher was saying, the corner of his eyes were trained on Naruto. Naruto, however, seemed oblivious.

"As you know, I will be putting you all into 3-man cells. Once there, you will pair with other groups, alright?"

"First team- Neji Hyuuga, TenTen, Rock Lee." Neji nodded while he continued.

"Next, Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji."

"Kiba, Shino, Hinata."

"Ok, Naruto..." Sasuke didn't realize it until it happened, but he had been holding his breath. Most girls in there were secretly hoping to be put in the same team as the new hottie. Sasuke stiffened when he saw Gaara staring at the blond.

"Sasuke, Sakura." Girls glared holes into Sakura's head while she did a mental happy dance. Sasuke remained impassive, secretly letting out a sigh of relief.

"The last team will be the Gaara,Kankuro, and Temari. Any Questions?" Nobody answered so he smiled, relieved he didn't have to repeat himself.

" Moving on. The Chunnin exam consists of the written exam and the physical test. Everyone in this room has already completed the written portion of the test,otherwise you wouldn't be here. So next comes the physical test. If you do not pass that, you won't participate in the final fight. You will be randomly selected, being paired with your opponent. Now let's meet your instructors shall we? The first three teams will go together and the last two will form a pair."

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><p>xXx<p>

Sasuke sighed as he scuffed his shoe against the forest floor. Iruka had told them that they were suppose to meet their instructor here, but here they were, almost an hour later with no instructor to be seen. It was oddly quiet as he looked around. Sakura was sitting at the base of the tree, staring at the newest addition to their class. He stood a couple feet away leaning against the tree and staring off into the forest. They weren't the only ones staring though. The red head that Sasuke was starting to hate was staring at Naruto so intently he feared the forest would catch fire. Either Naruto was completely oblivious, or he was choosing to ignore it. He felt movement by his feet, surprised to see Sakura shyly walk toward Naruto. Gaara's eyes narrowed on the pinkette.

"Umm. So, if you don't mind me asking, why didn't you enter the academy earlier?" Cruceleon eyes turned toward her, ice cold and void.

" I do mind you asking. Go bother someone else." His voice was monotone as he turned his head away. Her mouth hung open in silent shock, stumbling back slightly as if she had been struck. Sasuke smirked and saw the corner of Gaara's lips twitch.

"Yo." Five heads snapped up, Naruto still staring off to the side. Sasuke easily recognized the man, having seen him many times before.

"Sensei! Your late!" Sakura accused. Sasuke rolled his eyes. Very observant, wasn't she?

"On the way here, I saw a poor kitten in a tree and had to save it!"

"Right~." She drawled. Kakashi's visible eye upturned into a happy little ark.

"Anyway, I'm going to go around and you'll tell me about yourselfs. I'll go first. My name is Kakashi, Dislikes; I don't want to tell you, Likes; not telling you, and that's it. Pink girl, your turn." Sakura's face flushed and smiled sheepishly.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. My likes..." Her eyes flashed toward Naruto and Sasuke. "Dislikes; Ino-Pig! Um... my dreams are..." Kakashi rose a brow when she looked at Naruto. Typical girl. Kakashi nodded towards Sasuke.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. My likes are strong people. My dislikes..." Dark eyes flashed toward an oblivious Sakura. Kakashi shook his head in amusement, silver hair swishing back and forth.

"My dream is to become a valuable ninja to the village like my elder brother."

"Very good. Now, your turn Red head." He motioned with his hand in Gaara's general direction. Kakashi had noticed the boy right away. It wasn't exactly hard to do with the large tattoo on his head.

"Gaara of the sand." He spoke in a monotone.

"Well THAT was informative. I really feel as If I've gotten to know you. Next" Kankuro and Temari introduced themselves begrudgingly, only giving their names and a glare. Kakashi sighed. Why must he get stuck with the difficult ones?

His eyes slid over to the last of the group. Empty cruceleon eyes met his and he momentarily gasped,though no one could tell because of the mask he wore. There was nothing in those eyes. Nothing.

"You already know my name, so I see no reason to repeat myself. My likes: I have none. My dislikes are completely irrelevant. My dream..." Blond bangs shadowed those blue eyes before they were raised. Everyone, including the ever stoic Gaara, was taken aback by the pure and raw hatred brewing in the depths before they dimmed once again.

"My dream, No. It's not a dream, I will kill a certain someone." His voice was low and full of unspoken promises. Sasuke shuddered slightly and it wasn't because it was cold.

"Isn't that nice...?" Kakashi thought dryly.

"Ok, then. You all can go home. But make sure to be here before dawn tomorrow. Our two groups have a mission tomorrow. If your late, we'll leave you!~" Kakashi's eye closed in a happy ark and then in a puff of white smoke, he disappeared. Sasuke sighed as he leaned forward off the tree. He was about to head back, his family would probably be worried, when he noticed Naruto heading in the opposite direction of the village. Why would he...? He half turned his back, watching Naruto disappear into the dark foliage. A flash of pink evaded his vision and he felt her hand wrap around his wrist. He resisted the urge to shake her off.

"Sasuke-kun! I'm going after him." Sasuke's dark eyes widened. He didn't need her to say his name; it was crystal clear who she was talking about. Her eyes darkened slightly.

"I don't know why... no matter what mean things he says to me... I just can't leave him alone." Something clenched in his stomach unexpectedly at her admission. If it weren't for the death grip on his arm, he probably would have stumbled back. Sasuke sighed.

"And you want me to come...?" She nodded her head feverently, to afraid to follow by herself. He shook her off and began heading in the direction Naruto disappeared in.

"I'll accompany you." His head whipped around so fast at the bored monotone of the redhead it almost gave him whiplash. He wasn't the only shocked one though. Temari dropped her fan in shock, staring at her brother with wide eyes. Kankura's reaction wasn't much better.

"G-Gaara?" She stuttered. Her brother never made an attempt to talk to anyone, let alone follow them. Just what was it about this Naruto boy, anyway?

Gaara ignored them all, brushing past them. Even if they had asked him why he wanted to follow, he couldn't answer. Not even he knew. There was just something about the blue eyed boy,and Gaara was determined to find out.

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><p>xXx<p>

They had walked into the density of the forest for twenty minutes, arriving at their destination. Naruto had seemed to leave no visible signs of coming this way. The only reason they even got here was because of the trace scent of raspberries. The clearing was fairly large, surrounded by the protective enclosure of the trees. A fairly large house, Sasuke noted it was very similar to his own, was situated in the center of the clearing. It was a traditional Japanese style house, from the polished wood floors to the sliding screen doors. He felt Sakura jump slightly when the door slid open and Naruto exited the house. He wasn't looking at them, he knew they stayed far enough away so that he couldn't sense their chakra.

"Oh God." Sakura blushed. Sasuke raised a brow, following the blushing girls line of sight. His eyes promptly widened when he took in Naruto's bare torso. Dripping wet hair was covered with a small white towel, while small trails of water slid down his slim pale torso. Amazingly enough, he heard the silent trio behind him gasp. The loudest being Gaara. His usual slitted eyes were widened, trained on Naruto's middle. That's when he noticed the intricate design on the blonde boy's stomach.

Gaara's eyes stayed fixed on the spiraling black design on the blonds stomach. He knew that his siblings also understood right away that THIS was not a tattoo.

It was a Seal.

They watched silently as he walked over to the thing they had previously overlooked.

A grave.

Naruto walked behind the gravestone, sitting down and leaning his back against it.

"Hey there. Sorry I haven't been visiting lately." Naruto began softly. He pulled one knee to his chest, the other stretched forward. He tilted his head back, watching the rapidly darkening sky.

"Do you remember when we met? I told you 'Leave me alone! No one wants to be near a monster!'" Naruto chuckled humorously. Gaara's eyes softened and understanding lit his sea foam eyes and Sasuke stiffened.

"Well, you didn't really SAY anything at first. You just grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and head butted me. Do you remember what you said to me? 'The only thing I see here are two boys! I've known a real monster, and you Naruto Uzamaki are no monster!'" Naruto smiled softly as memories of that day played out behind his lids. As soon as that soft smile appeared, it disappeared, replaced by a look of pure hatred. The change was so sudden and drastic, it took them all by surprise. "I know you believed that but what about the villagers? Those fucking bastards who wouldn't hesitate to kill me if given the option. But I didn't care. All I needed was you. If you would stay with me...I would have been ok. I could have dealt with the name calling, the rock throwing. Anything! But then..." He stood, walking around to crouch in front of the headstone.

"He will pay." He snarled. It seemed as if his canines protruded. piercing his lip so hard it drew blood.

"For taking away my reason for living... he will die." He bent over slightly, planting a chaste kiss on it.

"It's a promise, Sai."

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><p><strong>*Throws down pen and wipes forehead* Phew! I hope you all like it! I don't know why it just sort of popped into my headXP I would love you all to Review! They make me so happy! If you liked my story, then you should check out my other one, "Alone in The Dark!"<strong>

**Thankies my Pretties!~**

**~AllenNlavi~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Anime- Naruto**

**Pairings- SasuNaru Slight All/Naru**

**Genre- Romance/adventure **

**Rating- T for now**

**Lost and Found**

**Chapter 2**

**~AllenNlavi~ **

Golden blond hair glinted in the streams of sunlight that escaped the foliage of the tree, making Naruto flinch. The sunlight always gave him headaches, so it came as no surprise when the throbbing in his temples started. He leaned his head against the rough bark of the tree with a small grunt. Sakura frowned when she noticed the expression on his face.

"Naruto-kun? Are you okay? You look pale." Naruto snorted. When didn't he look pale? Was it really that weird? Judging by their expressions- Yes, yes it was. Sakura's smile never wavered as she reached out to feel his forehead.

"Are you sure? Do you have a temp-" Just as her hand almost made contact with his forehead, a pale hand sharply smacked her's away.

"He said he was fine!" Sasuke hissed despite himself, but he reached out to touch Naruto's head himself. Sasuke frowned.

"You have a fever Naruto. Maybe instead of going on the mission, you should-"

"I said I was fine!" Naruto snapped.

"And I said that you aren't, you _Dobe_." A smirk curled the corner of his lips when Naruto's jaw dropped.

"Excuse me? I don't think I heard you correctly. I thought you just said-"

"Dobe." He finished the blonds' sentence. "And yes, I did."

"Stop that!"

"Dobe."

"Teme!"

"Do-be." Naruto's face began to turn an interesting shade of red and Sasuke could practically hear his teeth grinding. It was fun riling the normally reserved boy, he realized with a slight smile. The blond boy growled, turning his head to the side to glare at nothing in particular.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura whispered, glancing nervously at Naruto. "Don't be mean to Naruto-kun! He was just beginning to open up to me!" If Naruto ignoring everyone and glaring at at anything that moves was 'opening up' he didn't want to know what closed off was. He was in for a hell of a time, Sasuke thought as he glared at the silent redhead. Gaara and his two team members hadn't spoken, only giving curt replies to anyone who tried approaching them. There was a whirling sound, Kakashi poofing in a puff of smoke.

"So we're all here now, right?" Kakashi smiled- assuming that's what he was doing with that damn mask on his face.

"Some of us," Sasuke snarled, "are actually here on time!" Kakashi cocked his head, trying to look innocent and completely failing.

"I wonder who was late...? Oh well, on to more important things! Our mission today is a simple one: escort and protect a bridge builder to the Land of Waves. Easy, right?" Sakura smiled in relief. She had been worried it would be something dangerous. Everyone else however, looked utterly bored.

"What the hell? I ask for protection and I get a bunch of kids?" Sasuke glared up at the man who was leaning drunkly on the side of Konoha's gate, sake bottle in hand. 'How dare that jerk!" Sasuke spat mentally. Here they were, about to risk their lives for this waste of space, and he was acting as if it was _him _being put out! An insult was bubbling in his throat, but a smooth voice beat him to it.

"Sir, please rest assured that you'll be protected well. My team and I know what we're doing." Naruto spoke in a cool voice and walked pass his stunned team members. Naruto paused by the bridge builder, his eye's staring straight ahead.

"We can protect you just fine, but it would be a lot easier if you were sober. Wouldn't you agree, sir?

Naruto's eyes slid languidly over his 'teammates'. Kakashi was at the head with that Sakura girl. On either side of the bridge builder, who really needed a shower in Naruto's opinion, was the redhead and the Teme, the opposite was the girl with the fan and puppet guy. Naruto himself brought up the rear.

"Sensei? Can we take a break? My feet hurt!" Naruto snorted inaudibly in disgust. How the hell did she think she could become a ninja if she complained about walking a few hours? The very though was laughable. Kakashi tapped his chin thoughtfully, never looking up from his novel.

"Hmm? Sorry, but we can't stop now. Although..." He trailed off.

"Although...?" She repeated. Kakashi smiled slyly and a glint entered his visible eye that Naruto was entirely sure he didn't like. It screamed for small children to run away and hide.

"Naruto!" Said boy watched the gray haired man warily. How had his name been brought into this? Last time he checked he had absolutely nothing to do with the pink haired menace. Unless...

"Why don't you carry her, Naruto?" Sakura's face inflamed while, Naruto just shrugged absently. If he carried her he wouldn't have to listen to her whining. That, and they could cover more ground without her slowing everyone down everyone with her pitiful complaints. Sakura shuffled shyly to Naruto's side with a hesitance that set his teeth on edge. What if she was too heavy? His arms were covered from the long turtle neck, but from what she could see, his arms were rather weak looking and frail...

Annoyed by her bashfulness, Naruto crouched slightly, wrapped his arms around her thighs and hoisted her onto his back easily. Her arms flailed slightly at first, unsure as to where to put them, so heaving an annoyed sigh, he used one hand to grab her arm and wrap it around his neck.

"There we go! Everyone happy now?" Kakashi asked, ignoring the death glares he was receiving from a certain Uchiha and redhead. Surprisingly, as they began walking again, Naruto never slowed his pace. He didn't sweat nor did he look uncomfortable, just walked slightly behind and would hoist her up occasionally when she began to slip.

They travled for hours in silence, Sakura keeping her nose buried in Naruto's hair. He smelt like blueberries, but there was a distinct scent that made him Naruto. Feeling slightly giddy, she buried her face in his knitted scarf, causing it to tug down slightly. His blonde hair was soft and occasionally it would stir and brush her cheeks coyly. Naruto stiffened, and immediately Sakura to straightened up. Had she done something to make him upset? Did sniffing him cross the line?

"Naruto-kun? What's wrong?" She whispered, but it was apparently loud enough for everybody to hear because the all stopped to glance back impatiently.

"Dobe? What's the hold up?" Sasuke was slightly worried when the blonde didn't respond to his taunt. Was Sakura finally becoming too heavy to carry? Was it wrong of him to hope that was the case? The girl's face had been practically embedded in Naruto's neck the whole time and it had been bothering Sasuke the entire time. It was like a constant fly that kept buzzing back into his mind unbidden. The raven found himself constantly looking over his shoulder, making sure Sakura kept her hands to herself.

"Kakashi." Naruto's voice came out tight, his grip in the girl's thighs tightening enough for her to wince slightly. "When was the last time that it rained?" Before Kakashi had a chance to answer, Gaara's monotone voice broke in, sounding utterly disinterested.

"It hasn't rained since we arrived back here two weeks ago." Naruto nodded thoughtfully, his blond brow creasing slightly. Abruptly, Naruto hissed something under his breathe and slid Sakura off his back.

"Why? What's this all about Naruto-kun?" Sakura asked, slightly miffed he had put her down. It was hot outside, but despite Naruto walking for hours in a turtleneck and scarf, his skin was still cool to the touch, as if it was 30 degrees out. Naruto glanced at her and bit his plump bottom lip.

"Look under your feet you unobservant fools!" Naruto hissed. His foot skimmed a puddle, causing some of the muddy water to spray forward across the ground.

"There should be no puddles here if that's the case. The should all be dried already." Now that the boy had pointed it out, it became painfully obvious. 'How had I not realized?' Sasuke thought with a frown.

Naruto meanwhile, wanted to bang his head into the fucking tree. Some ninja he was, not noticing he had been sloshing through damn puddles for hours!

"So...That means-" Sakura whispered.

"Too late now." Came a whispered hiss that caused them all to freeze. Naruto took no time hesitating. It took him less than a second to grab Sakura's arm and sling the girl over the shoulder like a bag of flour .He jumped back and flipped backwards, landing next to Gaara with no sound. The spot where Sakura had stood just seconds before had multiple kunai plunged into the ground ominously.

Sakura gulped loudly. If Naruto hadn't-

"Come out!" Sasuke snarled, backing up to the bridge builder. Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro formed a protective circle around the man, weapons ready. Well, Gaara just stood there anyway.

"Sensei! No!" Sasuke whipped around to Sakura's shrill voice, only to see their Sensei of only two days cut into pieces. The abruptness of it left Sasuke feeling numb. He knew he should feel something, but dammit, everything was happening so fast, his mind hadn't caught up yet. He watched in and sort of morbid fascination as two rouge ninja landed soundlessly where Kakashi-Sensei once stood, smirks on their faces.

"What will you do now that your precious Sensei is dead, kiddies?" The first rouge ninja spoke in a taunting voice that instantly had their hackles rising in defense.

Discreetly as Naruto could manage, he positioned himself so that he was situated between them and the girl latched desperately onto his arm and cutting off circulation. He shook her off, but she just tightened her hold and whimpered. He knew she was scared, but dammit, he didn't have time to baby her, so he pulled sharply and nodded toward the hurdled circle behind him.

"Protect that man, okay? Don't draw attention to yourself by becoming a whimpering fool. Now go!" He whispered sharply and watched as she nodded shakily and backed up to stand between Kankuro and Temari in the circle. She held a kunai in defense, but her hands were shaking so badly it did little good.

"Let's just get this over with." The second one sneered as he watched, and before the other answered he was already in motion.

He sprang, feet gliding across the ground soundlessly and heading straight for Tazuna. The man was petrified in fear and looked close to wetting himself. It seemed impossible to reach the man, though. Sakura, Sasuke, Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari formed a protective barrier around the man on all sides, leaving no openings to get through. The rouge ninja never slowed though, the smirk on his face becoming more pronounced when he locked eyes with Sakura's frightened ones. The easiest way to break formation? Pick off the weakest link, and he knew exactly who that was.

Bingo.

Sasuke cursed under his breath, already understanding the man's plan. If he made a move to help Sakura, the other ninja would take the opening he left! What could he do without jeopardizing Tazuna's safety?

"Don't you dare!" Temari hissed under her breath, watching Sasuke's face flash with indecision."She knew what she was getting into when she became a ninja!"

Sakura's eyes widened when the man drew closer to her. There was no way she could win, how could she? She was just a kid after all. If they took out their Sensei so easily she had a snowball's chance in hell. Resigning herself, she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable pain to reach her.

_Naruto...sorry for being weak..._

The pain never came.

She opened her eyes slowly and allowed a small gasp to escape her lips. The man that was only seconds ago about to end her life, stood a couple of feet in front of her. The kunai in his hands dropped with a loud thump from his limp hand.

Naruto stood behind the man, kunai blade poised at his throat. Bangs shadowed Naruto's eyes and he pressed harder so a thin line appeared, blood beginning to drip down the blade.

A silent warning. Naruto's voice came out cold and detached.

"Call off the other one, now. I have no need of you, so I won't hesitate." Naruto pulled the kunai tighter against the man's neck for emphasis. Sweat beaded on the man's clammy forehead and rolled down his cheek, dropping on the tip of the blade. Blood mingled with the sweat and plopped soundlessly onto the ground. The man gulped, his face white. His hand itched toward the other blade attached to his hip.

"Try it and see what happens." Naruto hissed.

The boy was serious he realized. This blonde kid that he had completely disregarded before just one upped him and was about to kill him. This kid that looked like the slightest wind would have him blown him away with how frail he looked...

"S-stand down." He stuttered. The other ninja stiffened, hesitating slightly. He wouldn't be able to kill the bridge builder _and _help his teammate.

"Stand down now, Juuko!" Juuko cursed and was about to get up from his crouched position but the hairs on the back of his neck stood. The wind whipped past his hair and before he had a chance to blink, he was hit on the neck and went limp. His body was caught their undead Sensei.

"Z-zombie!" Sakura shrieked loudly, causing them all to wince.

"Loud woman!" Kankuro grumbled. Kakashi's visible eye shined with mirth.

"Yes! I came back for you all! I just couldn't go and leave my cute students all by themselves!" He said jovially. Chuckling, Kakashi heaved the unconscious ninja to the base of the tree, tying him there securely.

Naruto did the same and hit the the back of the man's neck, but he didn't bother to catch the limp body at all. He watched dispassionately, kicking him toward Kakashi.

"Should have just stayed dead. " Sasuke grumbled as he relaxed his stiff body, but his words held no real venom, only relief. He didn't stay relaxed however, when the pink haired ninja shuffled toward Naruto shyly.

Sasuke's back stiffened the same moment Gaara's did.

"T-thank you for saving me, Naruto-kun." She mumbled shyly. Naruto turned toward her with a piercing stare and immediately she didn't like how small she felt under the intense scrutiny of his burning gaze.

"Never close your eyes in front of an enemy. Doing something so careless will cost you your life." She blushed, partly because this was the longest he'd talked to her and partly because she was embarrassed for being scolded. Naruto must have noticed something on her face because he forced his tone to soften.

"I'm sure there are those who would grieve if something happened to you."

Sasuke glared daggers at the girl's back, willing her to disappear. He knew it was irrational, but he didn't like this intimate atmosphere, or the fact that Naruto's blue eyes where looking at the pink haired girl. At all.

"W-would you?" She asked meekly.

Naruto didn't answer at first, and she thought he was going to ignore her again. He turned his back towards the others.

"I'll be long gone by the time you're gone, Sakura. I'll tell you, the people who die have it easy. It's those who the dead leave behind who have it tough."

_To be continued_


End file.
